


Compound

by dormiensa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Forced Partnership, Gen, Implicit Sexual Situations, Plot Based on Other Book/Film, Profanity, Romance, trapped together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 07:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7925926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dormiensa/pseuds/dormiensa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione, Draco, and their friends must fend for themselves in the wilderness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compound

**Author's Note:**

> Original pairing: Musetta/Marcello
> 
> Musetta & Marcello are the second, supportive pairing in Giacomo Puccini’s opera _La Bohème_ and have a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship full of banter and snark. The opera is set in Paris around 1830 and centres around the bohemian lifestyle of four struggling artists who share a flat and manage to live a mostly merry existence, even if they can’t quite manage to pay their rent. The 1996 musical, _Rent_ , is based on this opera.
> 
>  
> 
> Beta’d by: UnseenLibrarian and withdrawnred

It was a bright and blistering sun that hovered over the deep, endless blue of the ocean and the blinding white sands of the shore. This was the perfect vacation spot to escape from the wet, dreary grey, cobble-stoned existence of November London.

Sadly…

“Whoever knew the paper cups were Portkeys had better admit it now and accept your Jelly-Legs punishment, else it’ll be _Tarantallegra_ if we ever find out,” Ron growled.

“Oh, quit grumbling and help move these boxes further away from the water,” Hermione groused. “At least they gave us some provisions.”

Muttering under his breath, Ron grabbed the other side of the nearest wooden container and helped haul it to higher, drier land.

When the class had been told they’d be going on a retreat to hone their skills, they’d hardly expected to be unceremoniously dumped onto an island in the middle of nowhere. All they had were their wits and the clothes on their backs.

“Has anyone figured out where in the world, exactly, the Masters’ve shoved us?” George asked.

“As far as I can figure it, we’re in the middle of the southern Atlantic, roughly the same latitude as South Africa,” replied Justin.

“So, that means the other group ended up somewhere in the north Pacific,” commented Hermione.

“Better not be Hawaii,” said Ron.

“That’d hardly be fair, Ron.”

“Who says survival is about fairness!”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Weasley the Sixth has a point,” said Blaise.

“He’s got to possess _some_ brains, I suppose. I doubt he could’ve gotten into Auror training, much less Elementals, otherwise. The Auror department may not require as many brains as Deep Mysts, but surely tracking down criminals would need _some_ ability to strategize,” Pansy chimed.

“Oi!”

“Everyone, please stop the socializing until we figure out what they’ve provided us and whether we need to build shelter for the night,” Neville called out.

“The Alternate Saviour has spoken, so we’d better not be caught idling.”

“Just for that, Malfoy, you’re scouting the trees for a safe place to sleep once we’re done here.”

Draco smirked. “And here I thought you’d be dishing out some sort of punishment, Granger. Consider it—” He blanched when he dug into his pockets and came up empty-handed.

“What’s the matter, Malfoy? They confiscate your collapsible broom along with your wand? Does that mean you’ll actually need to _climb_ said trees?” 

“I don’t suppose they left you your charmed bag?” Draco’s smile became insufferably smug when the grin disappeared from Hermione’s face.

“All right, save the flirting for later. We’ve got work to do.” Ron held up his hands in placation when twin glares swivelled onto him. “You two should’ve Sorted into Fire! Merlin!”

“Ronald, why don’t you go and gather some driftwood for tonight,” interjected Padma.

“And don’t go repeating that who-can-build-a-bigger-fire competition from last week with your fellow trainees. We don’t want the whole island in flames,” warned Hermione.

“It’s a good thing we are surrounded by ocean and have three Water adepts with us,” commented Susan.

Justin snorted. “As if death by drowning is any better.” 

“All right, I know our situation isn’t ideal. We’re just reacting to having such an unexpected start to our retreat. But we’re stranded here for the next few days, so let’s just take some deep breaths and focus on surviving our first night,” said Neville.

His attempt at peacekeeping was met with sniffs and grumbles, but nonetheless, there was reluctant compliance.

Having finally gathered the crates in one area, they were pried open and their contents inventoried.

“So, it looks like they supplied us with two tents, some dried goods that should last about a week, some basic tools for gathering and cooking whatever is available on the island, and medical supplies,” announced Harry.

“Well, I guess that means I should set the traps and see what sort of wildlife exists in this forsaken place,” said Blaise.

“I’ll come with you,” said Susan. At his shocked look, she said, coolly, “I always won the archery contests for my age group at the annual Ministry picnics. _And_ I used to go camping with my mother’s family—they’re _Muggles_ , you know.”

“Well, I guess Neville and I should go in search of edible plants and berries,” said Hermione, after an awkward silence. “Er, Luna, maybe you…”

“I’ll put up spells to detract mosquitoes and Wrackspurts.”

“Er, right. Good idea.”

Within the hour, the two tents had been pitched and secured in the trees, rope ladders hanging. The three Air Mage trainees ensured they would remain airborne. Whatever their misgivings about her sanity, Draco and Justin knew Luna to be far superior at buoyancy spells.

Hermione and Neville had found some colourful ingredients to make an interesting salad. Ron had prepared a pile of driftwood that could be lit with a flick of the hand. The others had, assembly line-style, put away the supplies into the tents. 

When those present regrouped around the designated eating area, a grinning George handed out newly created firecrackers for emergency signalling. At some of the disbelieving looks, he winked. “Not even Fred knows how to access my secret stash of gunpowder.”

Last to return were Susan and Blaise, bringing a pair of furry, four-legged creatures and a few birds already defeathered. Luna commandeered the bag of feathers and fashioned floating clothespins for laundry.

The remainder of the day was spent creating more supplies: Hermione and Harry worked to create clay pots for the water Padma and Pansy were distilling from seawater; Blaise, Justin, and Neville concentrated on a means of preserving the leftover perishables. The others made the camp area more liveable and protected from attack and converted the wooden containers into two large sheds to provide some privacy for “daily ablutions”. George managed to convert one of the supplied metal tools into a showerhead and a bathing schedule was determined.

As the group sat about the campfire that evening, they congratulated each other on jobs well done.

“I never realized you were such a great cook, Ron. The birds were delicious,” said Padma.

Ron glanced at Hermione and Harry before replying, “Yeah, well, after nearly starving while Horcrux hunting, I figured I’d better ask Mum for some basic lessons.”

“Molly’s very proud of your ability to create such lovely meals with such limited means.”

“How could she know what we’ve been up to?” asked George.

“Oh, I’ve been keeping Percy updated. We’ve been corresponding with a charmed Sickle. Thank you, Hermione, for that clever idea. I’ve told Percy to contact family and friends to let them know we’re safe. I’m sure Bill will find a way to inform the Drs. Granger.”

“Thank you, Padma! That reminds me: I made some charmed Knuts for communication within the group. We should really do some exploring of the island tomorrow, and these will help keep track of everyone.” 

“Do you think the other group is doing all right?” Justin said as he pocketed the Knut.

“I’m sure they’re fine. We haven’t felt any tremors nor experienced any adverse weather changes. And you know Fred’s always been more into pyrotechnics than George,” Ron said, grinning at his brother.

“I’m sure Angelina and Ginny will keep him in check,” said Hermione.

“Hey, why didn’t Bill join the mage school? I’d’ve thought he’d be a guarantee,” said Justin to the Weasleys.

“They found out Fleur was expecting Victoire when he received the invitation. He declined, which is why Ronniekins got picked instead.”

“Oi! I’m in charge of your meals, George Fabian Weasley.”

“Just joking, little brother!”

“The biting creatures will be out once the sun tucks itself beneath the horizon,” Luna informed. “I think this island is home to creatures with glowing shells. I’m going to make some nightlights. George can light them.”

“Lead the way, my Looney-love!” George grabbed his wife’s hand and tugged her toward the beach.

“In that case, Harry and I will clean up. Padma, you and Blaise should get the bathing and cleansing routines started,” said Pansy.

The group was safely tucked into the tents an hour after sunset. As Hermione settled into her sleeping bag, she gasped. Someone had thoughtfully made the top of their tent transparent so that the stars were visible.

Beside her, Pansy murmured, “Draco only acts the prat.”

~*~*~*~

Hermione was awoken by a scream. Discombobulated, it took her a moment to recall where she was. Looking about the darkness, she was startled by a large pair of luminous eyes staring at her. As her heart and breathing rates evened, she realized one of the tree-dwelling creatures must’ve been curious about this foreign object in the trees. 

A warm tingling suddenly emitted from her pocket and she took out her charmed Knut to find a concerned message from Harry. She quickly reassured him and then finally sought out the source of the scream.

“Are you all right, Pansy?” 

Pansy appeared to be breathing normally; Susan had an arm around her. “I’m—I’m fine. Just a little scare. Its scuttling woke me up. I just wasn’t expecting—”

“Oh, what a lovely creature! Do you think it’s hungry?” Luna’s sleepy voice interrupted. Without awaiting a response, she unlatched the tent door and climbed outside.

“Luna! Be careful!”

The little creature scurried from view and a disappointed Luna re-entered. “It eats the mollusks with glowing blue shells and was wondering why some were inside our tent. But it didn’t like the smell of meat on me, so it went away. It’s too bad my magic requires that I continue to eat meat.”

“Well, I’m sure George appreciates that he doesn’t need to change his diet. And I think Molly would be very upset to learn you don’t enjoy her Sunday roasts,” said Hermione dryly.

“Oh, George is allergic to vegetables. It’s useless to try and force him to eat them.”

“Do you have physical proof of this? Or is it merely his own claims?”

“He suffers profound sadness whenever he sees them. And that affects the aura of the house and Weazies. He had three experimental products fail the same day.”

“Mr. Weasley and I will need to have a talk in the morning,” said Susan in her most Healer-ish voice.

A gentle sound from the remaining sleeping bag reminded the girls that it was the middle of the night and they’d better get some rest. 

~*~*~*~

The smell of sizzling fish finally registered in Draco’s mind and he grudgingly woke up and climbed out of the tent. He gave a vague wave in the direction of the campfire and headed to the shed for a quick wash. He soon joined them, clearing a spot of debris.

“Good morning, Sleepy Draky. I was about to send Blaise in with an ice bath spell if you didn’t emerge in the next half-hour.” Pansy sat next to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. 

Apparently, she and her fellow Waters had gotten up early to catch their breakfast. Her tired-looking but dutiful fiancé was ensuring the fish didn’t stick in the pan over his fire.

“The fish is ready, Harry.”

“Thanks, Padma. Could you pass me the plate?”

“What type of fish is this, Padma?” asked Neville as he helped serve.

“I’m not sure. It felt most similar to sea bass, but I’ve never trusted a fish’s appearance to determine its taste.”

“Did you girls manage to get some rest after last night’s incident?” Harry asked between mouthfuls.

“What incident? Did something happen to our tent last night?” Padma directed at the girls. 

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Yes, deep-sleeping princess.” She gave a brief synopsis at the end of which Padma gave a shrug and noted that she lived in a house with sixteen other relatives who did not understand the concept of silence. She and Parvati had once slept through a fire and were fortunately rescued by an uncle. Not that a Water could ever be severely burned by fire…

Further conversation was interrupted by a powerful wind that nearly unhinged their tents. Harry’s fire and accompanying firewood arced out of sight beyond the canopy. Hermione, Susan, and Neville managed to prevent their other supplies and stores from a similar fate.

When the calm returned, they noticed a green apothecary bottle washed ashore. Blaise beckoned and it flew into his hand. He pulled out the piece of parchment. “Our venerable masters have set their task: to explore the island and decide how a settlement could be built using existing materials. We are to create a small model using said materials and will be judged on our skills and creativity. We have five days.”

“Right. We’d better finish breakfast and get started before the temperature peaks,” said Hermione briskly. “Harry, you decide how the group should be split up. Malfoy and Justin can secure everything into the tents and make sure they are camouflaged. Luna, can you deal with the clothes we hung out to dry? Susan and I will put together provisions for the day. Everyone else, please decide what you need once your teams have been created.”

Not knowing how much ground needed to be covered, Harry split them into pairs with different elemental affinities, to better counteract any danger they might encounter. 

Of the non-Waters, Susan was the best swimmer, so she went with Blaise on his fishing raft to explore the perimeter of the island. Luna and George would cover the entire canopy while the remaining four pairs each covered a cardinal direction.

“There’s a Four-Point incorporated into the communication Knuts,” Hermione reminded them as they gathered for a final meeting. “Everyone have their Weazies Whizz-bangs? When you can find a moment to rest, it’d be a good opportunity to practise wandless Patronuses, just as an extra tool for passing on information. Susan has added some simple Healing instructions in each of the backpacks as well.”

“All right, let’s meet back here by no later than half-hour before sunset,” said Harry.

~*~*~*~

“... And I’m fairly certain this species belongs to the _Rubiaceae_ family, though I’d need to double-check with Neville, so we’d better draw an accurate picture—”

“Granger! I’m not a Quick-Quotes Quill!” 

“Then you should practise your shorthand. I’m amazed you can’t write as fast as your mouth can run off.”

“Why the hell did Potter sic you on me?” Draco grumbled for the umpteenth time.

“Because I’m the only one in the group who can put up with your condescending ways and has enough strict morals to not throttle you and leave you to rot.”

“You’re an Earth-phile. Surely you could bury me and fashion a convincing enough clay figure and no one would be the wiser.”

“Don’t think I haven’t considered it.”

“My charming personality too difficult to replicate?”

“No, your peacock gait. No clay figure could _possibly_ imitate it without tripping.”

“Ha-ha. If ever I scatter your remains to the four winds, I’ll be sure to first remove your vocal cords. I don’t think the world could handle such shrillness unleashed onto their innocent, unsuspecting bodies.”

“Hmph! A pity I’d be found out immediately if I were to unveil my clay imitation: it’d be too congenial to ever fool anyone.”

“I can’t help but feel one less aggravating bint could only be a betterment to society.”

“Hmph! Have you finished drawing the plant yet? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

~*~*~*~

The sun was high above the trees and it was getting quite humid in the undergrowth.

“Malfoy, why the hell did you pick this direction to explore? We’ve been going uphill for the past hour. And it’s stifling!” She wiped her neck with her handkerchief.

“St. Scarhead made us choose straws, remember? And _you’re_ the one who pulled ‘west’.”

“I must have been a money-lender and murderer in my previous life.”

“I thought you didn’t practise any religion?”

“Well, how else do you explain the bad luck I’m constantly up against?”

The ground to their right suddenly exploded in a cloud of dust. 

“Blast!”

“Don’t encourage it, Granger!” Draco quickly gathered the loose bits of soil into a small whirlwind and let it settle some distance away, behind a large bush. 

They continued their trek and documenting of the flora. 

They’d only gone another hundred metres when another eruption occurred. A tiny tremor accompanied it.

“Granger?”

“ _What?_ ”

“Is it lunch time yet?”

“Crap!”

“So, are you always uber-angry when you’re hungry or is it your murderous past life bleeding into this one?”

“Shut it and pass me my water bottle.”

~*~*~*~

“Stop it, Malfoy!” Hermione yelled as her bun came loose. Another gust of wind left her spitting out strands of tangled hair. 

“Not my doing, Granger. Strong winds today.”

“Then how come _your_ hair hasn’t been affected?”

“Thank you for noticing, Granger. I assure you that it is impossible to muss the Malfoy hair. Family trait.”

“Oh, really?” 

The next moment, Draco found himself spinning rapidly on the spot and sinking into the ground until only the top half of his body showed. His arms were pinioned to his sides by two mounds of dirt. 

Draco gulped as he stared up at the gleaming-eyed Hermione. “It was a mere statement of fact, Granger. Didn’t mean to cast aspersions on your lovely mane of hair.”

“Pity you have no control over that mouth of yours, Malfoy. But that’s to be expected, I suppose, given the size of ferret brains.”

“That was completely—Ow! Stop! Get off me, you harpy!” 

Hermione finally stepped back and viewed her masterpiece with satisfaction. She had managed to “style” Draco’s hair into an extremely… wind-swept do and had even managed to ensure it would keep with some judicious use of water and available materials on hand.

~*~*~*~

As agreed upon, the group reconvened about an hour before sunset. Each pair had managed to add to their common food store and there would be plenty for the next two days. They split into two groups: one to prepare dinner and the other to ensure the provisions would keep for the upcoming days.

During dinner, Blaise and Susan showed a map of the island they’d put together after a day of surveying. They estimated that another half-day should be enough to cover the rest of the designated areas. 

Because the forest did not cover the entire surface of the island, George and Luna had already finished exploring and agreed to spend the following morning compiling the information the others had gathered.

Before turning in, George insisted he and Luna needed another romantic stroll along the beach. Harry and Pansy also soon made themselves scarce. Padma sat by the fire to catch Percy up on her day’s adventures with Justin.

“Anyone seen Blaise?” Draco asked. 

“Oh, I think I heard him mention an early shower, since the schedule’s been modified,” said Padma without glancing up.

“That’s odd. Susan just told me she planned to freshen up.” Hermione shared a grin with Padma. “Looks like you’ll have to keep yourself amused for the time being, Malfoy. Your two best friends are preoccupied.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Game of chess, Weasel King?”

“You’re on! Er, Hermione, d’you think you could…”

“You two really ought to learn Muggle chess. It makes for a much quieter game for people in the vicinity.” But she nevertheless complied with the request, moulding a set from the local clay that was fired into a more durable form by Ron. Draco added the final animation spells.

Hermione then pulled Neville aside to clarify certain species of vegetation she and Draco had encountered. Justin joined them for similar note comparisons.

~*~*~*~

Hermione sighed in contentment after her quick morning shower. _Now for some breakfast._

She collided with Draco at the entrance of the shower shed. They collapsed in a messy tangle of limbs. Attempting to extricate herself, she tried to ignore the toned muscles she could feel beneath his thin shirt.

“Pardon me, Malfoy. If you could just raise your elbow so I can free my hair…” She scrambled to her feet, flushed and flustered. She quickly headed toward the campfire.

Draco got to his feet and stared at her retreating back. Then, he entered the shed and triggered the cold water spell. He soon bellowed for Blaise and demanded a colder douse. He pretended not to see his friend’s smirk.

~*~*~*~

“Oi!” Ron exclaimed as he came out of the shower and lost hold of his transfigured-leaf towel. “Malfoy, you’re a wanking sore loser. It was just a game!” 

“Your sense of self-importance is quite staggering, Weasel King. I was merely tidying the area of fallen debris. Your towel was a casualty, is all.”

“Oh, how clever, Malfoy! Vortexing will definitely dry our clothes faster in this humid weather. I shall spell the pegs to Viennese waltz while we sleep.”

Draco gave Luna a bemused look. “Why don’t you combine your skills with your husband’s and blast the clothes dry?”

“An infinitely practical but dull solution,” said George. “Besides, I have a tendency of singeing some of the more volatile materials. In fact, Lunilicious and I once crumbled a whole load of laundry to dust. Mum was furious. But then again, she hadn’t had new clothes in over a decade. We got Fleur to go shopping with her.”

“I supposed that explains the sudden paucity of Weasley jumpers,” said Hermione.

“Fred and I _may_ have been experimenting with a new type of firecracker. And we _may_ have needed materials to test them on.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. Gathering her things, she said, “It’s almost mid-morning. Malfoy and I are heading out.”

“Enjoy your day groping behind the bushes!”

Hermione cursed her genetics for making her blushes so obvious. “You know we weren’t doing anything of the sort!”

Padma grinned. “No? When you and Draco returned and he looked like he’d been getting comfortable with Mother Earth, one naturally assumed.”

“Draco’s quite the germophobe,” Pansy said. “If anything, he’d much prefer snogging in the shower.”

“Speaking from personal experience, Pansy?”

Pansy snorted. “Hardly. By the time that option became available, I’d moved on. Though I’m sure he wanks to thoughts of—”

“Pansy has this extraordinary ability to eat an entire banana in one swallow and not choke on it.”

Several of the wizards made coughing and sputtering sounds, Harry loudest among them. Pansy glared at Draco, who smirked. 

Tugging Hermione by the elbow, Draco said, “Come along, Granger. Perhaps if we return covered in blisters from poison sumac, we can preserve our reputations.”

“Poison sumac doesn’t grow in such tropical climes, your arse.”

“Such endearments! I’m blushing!”

“That’s your sunburn talking, piddling prat.”

“Be still my heart!”

“Oh, shut it!”

~*~*~*~

“Oh, look, Malfoy! There’s an unusual fungus growing on this tree!”

“It looks like Umbridge’s petticoats.”

“And _how_ would you know what her petticoats look like?”

“Don’t be disgusting, Granger. My grandmother wore frilly petticoats. And you have to admit that alarming shade of pink…”

“It’s certainly prissy. Now help me get a better look at the specimen. Ah! Put me down!” When Hermione was back on her feet again, she snapped, “I didn’t mean _Levitate_ me! Just let me piggyback on your shoulders.”

“Stop squirming! We’re going to both topple over.”

“Hold still! I’m trying to cut a sample to analyze at camp!”

They spent the next fifteen minutes trekking in complete silence. Hermione tried to focus on examining the surrounding area, but her thoughts kept straying to the softness of Malfoy’s hair against her inner thighs. And the heat of his hands just above the knees. 

When she couldn’t bear it any longer, she blurted, “You’re so quiet, Malfoy.”

He sighed. “Just the heat getting to me.”

“Are you all right? Do we need to take a break and get hydrated?”

He huffed. “I’m fine, Granger. I—Cliodna's clagnuts!” His butt landed on a raised mound of earth with a thud. But he had no time to gripe because he found Hermione’s hands all over him, checking his temperature, his eyes, the strong pulse in his neck. He gulped and kept his hands firmly to himself.

“Well, you don’t look like you’re dehydrated. Do you feel light-headed?”

“I did when you swept me off my feet. What a forward-thinking witch you are. But, you know, I will have to insist on a proper meal before I let you have your way with me.”

Hermione blushed. “Well, you haven’t lost the snark, so you must be fine. Have a drink of water anyway and then we’ll move on. I can smell the saltiness of the sea, so we must be close to the end of our exploration.”

She tried to move away but found herself rooted to the spot by a pair of hands pressed firmly on her hips. 

“I know there’s some other exploring I’d like to do. Very much.”

“Malfoy…”

“You have very soft, smooth skin, Granger. And I liked the feel of your thighs about my head.”

“I—oof!” She landed gracelessly on his lap. 

He pressed his lips to hers.

~*~*~*~

As they stood at the edge of the shoreline, staring at the coast in the distance, Hermione was keenly aware of the heat radiating off Draco. 

“Which part of South America do you suppose that is?”

“I’d guess southern Brazil, given Justin’s guess that we’re level with South Africa.”

“Think you could build a landbridge to it?”

“Not yet, and even when I’ve mastered my powers, I wouldn’t dream of doing it alone.”

“The great Hermione Granger admitting to limitations?”

“Hermione Granger does not possess an ego even remotely comparable to the pompous Draco Malfoy.”

“Says the foolhardy who thought to take on the troll all by her lonesome in First.”

Hermione bit back a retort about the truth of the matter. Before she could think of a snarky comeback, a roaring sounded and next moment, she was engulfed by a huge wave and dragged into the ocean. She hadn’t yet managed to focus her powers to command the submerged sand to bring her ashore when she was dumped aboard a raft.

“We thought you two got mauled by the wildlife or some such, so I volunteered to look for you,” said an offensively cheerful voice above her.

Hermione glared Blaise. 

“Ouch! Wha—that’s disgust—” Blaise coughed out the mud that splattered onto his face. More mud pellets hit him from all sides and he was soon caked in the sticky-soggy material. It suddenly dried and hardened. Then, he was pushed overboard.

Hermione returned Draco’s grin, which broadened as they watched Blaise finally emerge after his impromptu bath.

“I hope your mean-streaked offspring gets Sorted into Hufflepuff; else we’ll have another Dark Lord to contend with.”

“You should beware of producing your own Dark Lord. Sneaky ambition coupled with a strong work ethic, there’d be no stopping _your_ sprog from reshaping our society into one of enforced Dionysian revelling and crippling taxation based on poundage.”

“Never pegged Slytherins as optimists, but I sit corrected.” At their confused looks, Hermione expounded: “You are assuming your kids would be the best combination of both parents. What if they’re the opposite? The Puff stubborn streak reinforced by the Snake pride would create the worst breed of arrogant, blustering politician to ever afflict a small, closed-off community.”

“I rather feel you’ve just described your own offspring, Granger.” Anticipating another muddy retort, Blaise gave Hermione a second drenching.

“You sodding wankstain!” sputtered Hermione as she pulled back her curtain of wet hair.

Blaise quipped an eyebrow. “You’ve been spending far too much time with Malfoy, Granger. I’d better get you two back to camp. Don’t need anything else rubbing off.” He smirked at Draco.

“I’m sure you’d know, Zabini, all those hours… surveying and mapping unknown territory.”

Blaise grinned. “Pity Air is so insubstantial a skill, else you could pop open Granger’s lovely red-laced bra and chart the final frontier.”

Hermione gasped and wrapped her arms about her torso, blushing. Unfortunately, the motion only further enhanced the deep cleavage peeking out of her shirt. Draco shifted uncomfortably and looked out toward the sea, ignoring Blaise’s smug expression.

She headed straight for the shower shed when they reached their temporary abode. 

Hermione was grabbed while exiting and pressed against the wall hidden from prying eyes. When they paused for breath, Draco whispered about a treetop assignation under the stars and disappeared into the shed.

~*~*~*~

“But it doesn’t make sense!” Hermione said. “You can’t assume only Elementals will be settling on the island, so it’s dangerous to have their abodes dangling in mid-air.”

“We don’t have to build in the forest. What about that clearing in the south?” Ron pointed to the spot on the map.

“It’s not big enough,” said Padma. “It could maybe house up to one hundred people; then, there’d be no room to expand.”

“And it doesn’t make sense to build high rises on an island,” added Justin.

“Tall, narrow structures aren’t practical in any case, since the island is over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Besides, the soil in that area is mostly organic, so even slight tremors can greatly increase the risk of toppling over. And both falling into the ocean and crushing the forest are not good,” commented Neville.

“So, we have to build inside the forest. But we don’t want hanging structures. Do we have to cut down some of the trees to accommodate houses?” queried Harry. “I like that the forest offers good protection from both invasion and the heat of the sun, but I’d think it could get pretty hot and stuffy in there. Plus, some people don’t like living in such tight spaces.”

“I don’t think it’d be necessary to clear parts of the forest. We could always build around the trees and have an open concept, like on many of the tropical islands in Southeast Asia,” said Hermione.

“And we could fancy it up like Rivendell!” exclaimed Justin.

Hermione clapped her hands. “Oh, that’d be perfect! That bit of open space to the northeast would be perfect for a gathering place, like a town square! And then there’s—”

“Hold on, Hermione!” George interjected. “What’s a Rivendell? Some sort of fancy Muggle London settlement?”

“Oh, no! It’s one of the two major elven dwellings in the Lord of the Rings books.” Hermione’s enthusiasm waned at the blank stares. She sighed and gave a brief explanation, adding that a movie of the first book had just come out the previous year. She rolled her eyes at the renewed incomprehension and, with Justin’s and Susan’s help, explained the concept of cinema.

“It’s too bad Dean didn’t receive an invitation. He could’ve designed a wonderful complex,” she commented.

“I doubt aesthetics are the primary concern of the project.”

“Well, that’s true, Blaise. But if you’d seen the set design, you’d want to emulate it.”

“We’d need tall, clay chimneys for the kitchen area,” George said. 

“And create a water channel into the forest,” added Blaise.

“All right, before we lose ourselves into the details, let’s break for lunch,” said Pansy. “Do we want meat or fish today?”

While they had lunch, Hermione sat with Draco in close conversation. Padma nudged Pansy, who rolled her eyes and muttered something about time. Susan also joined in the conspiratorial giggle. 

The three girls were therefore a bit put out when, with Draco’s assistance, Hermione produced a hologram of her memories of the Rivendell set. Luna commented on the paucity of wind chimes and went off to work on some. Even Blaise had to admit the following morning that the soothing lullaby emanating from Luna’s reeds afforded him the best sleep thus far on their little adventure.

The group continued developing their plans for the hypothetical settlement through the remainder of the week. As stipulated by the note, they built a model using exactly the intended materials for each part of the complex. There were a total of three levels: common areas and thoroughfares on the lowest level and clusters of bedrooms and private spaces on the upper two, which would allow up to three hundred to live very comfortably and sustainably.

The Masters, having arrived mid-afternoon on the final day, were full of praise at the well-thought out plan. They revealed that while the other group had been similarly practical in their approach to the design of their settlement, this team’s sense of artistry made the complex more attractive and homely. A return Portkey was given to Hermione for safekeeping and the group was informed they had two hours to pack. 

Before departing, one of the Masters asked if she could have one of Luna’s clothes pegs as a souvenir.

The weekend following the retreat, the entire student body gathered at Draco’s flat to watch the extended edition of the first Lord of the Rings movie, which had just been released. 

As the charmed first disc began showing the images of lush green countryside, Hermione snuggled into Draco’s embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Many thanks to the incomparable mods for hosting another successful round of Remix! And especial thanks to Unseen for helping this story take shape!
> 
> In case you haven’t figured them out, here are the affinities for the group:
> 
>  
> 
> Fire: Harry, George, Ron  
> Water: Padma, Pansy, Blaise  
> Air: Luna, Draco, Justin  
> Earth: Hermione, Susan, Neville


End file.
